In 1605, a novel appeared on the shelves of Madrid bookstores, the author of which among his compatriots was more likely known not so much for literary achievements as for suffering in Algerian captivity. The name of this writer is Miguel Cervantes. The biography of the creator of “a skinny, eccentric hidalgo full of thoughts hitherto not occurred to anyone”, namely Don Quixote of Lamancha, is a series of adversities and severe upheavals.
The Age of Cervantes
The author of one of the most famous characters was born, lived and died in deep poverty. The era in which he lived was extremely turbulent. Having not lived two years before his seventieth birthday, another great Miguel Cervantes left for the world. His biography covers the years of the reign of the three kings, and the political picture of this period in the history of Spain is characterized by a gradual weakening of world domination and the despotism of power. At the same time, the 16th century is the time that was marked in the homeland of Cervantes by the appearance of a bright galaxy of talented writers, scientists and artists.
The life of the Spaniards of that time was full of anxieties. Many suffered a difficult fate. No exception in this sense is the writer Miguel Cervantes. His biography, however, according to the information that has reached our days, even stands out against this background. Fate seemed to gang up on him from his very birth.
The beggar hidalgo
In the poem Travel to Parnassus, Cervantes calls himself a man tormented by poverty. During his lifetime, his creations were respected not only in Spain, but also abroad. And according to the recollections of one of the writer's compatriots, one noble Frenchman uttered a rather witty phrase: “If you create your own works of Cervantes, you need, God forbid that she never leaves him, because he can enrich the whole world with his work.”
Miguel Cervantes experienced the heavy blows of fate. The biography of this writer contains events such as a wound during the battle of Lepanto, a five-year prisoner in Algeria and many more troubles, which, however, did not embitter and harden his heart. Long-suffering life did not deprive him of clarity of mind and sharpness of his creative look. The works of Miguel Cervantes are proof that the author, until the end of his days, has not lost his malice and love for people. After all, even his last novel breathes amazing cheerfulness. It is called The Journey of Persiles and Sikhismund and is completed a few days before death.
Biographical Information
A Spanish writer was born in 1547. He was the fourth child in the family of a poor physician of noble origin. In addition, the father suffered from deafness and, unlike his grandfather, who occupied a rather respected position, could not apply for any judicial or administrative post due to a physical defect. From the clan of impoverished nobles came the mother of Cervantes. But, despite the impassable need, the family of the author of Don Quixote was very friendly. This confirms the significant amount that, due to their poverty, relatives were able to collect in order to redeem it from Algerian captivity.
The writer created the protagonist of his main book not only thanks to limitless imagination, but also to the experience of observation, to which he indulged from an early age. The family often moved from place to place. And already in childhood, little Miguel was familiar with the true life of the impoverished Spanish nobility. Soon, his father was arrested for non-payment of debts. The future writer began a vagrancy life, which led him to the capital. Miguel Saavedra Cervantes was educated in Madrid. His biography was not limited to the hardships of difficult childhood. In the late sixties in the Cervantes family came a real black streak. Both Miguel and his younger brother had to think about how to earn a living.
Court Service
Miguel Cervantes joined the ambassador in 1568. Court service was one of three possible ways for a young man from a noble family of middle hands. But several years later, for unknown reasons, Cervantes left Spain, and in 1970 joined the ranks of the Spanish army, stationed in Italy. Perhaps the cause of this act was a patriotic impulse and desire to participate in the reflection of Turkish aggression.
Italy
Even the early works of Miguel Cervantes indicate a high level of education and well-read. And this is not surprising. After all, service in the Spanish army gave him the opportunity to visit Rome and other Italian cities. Staying in Italy not only allowed him to learn the language, but also to expand cultural knowledge. The study of the works of the great authors of the Renaissance was by no means limited to these years. It accompanied the entire creative path of the writer. “Talent, not sophisticated in science”, - Miguel Cervantes himself described himself. His books contain many references to the names of ancient authors and creators of Renaissance masterpieces. And it was in the Italian period that a thirst for reading, a love of literature and art, arose in his soul.
In captivity
After a serious wound that turned Cervantes into a disabled person, he intended to return to his homeland, which, as you know, turned into a long stay in Algerian captivity. The humanistic ideas of Miguel Cervantes, which he preached throughout his career, began to take shape precisely in the years of captivity. The Algerian captivity showed in it the highest spiritual qualities: fearlessness, willpower and enterprise. And along with them, the writer developed in himself kindness, nobility and a sense of duty. While in captivity, Cervantes not only did not lose his faith in deliverance, but also instilled it in others. He was released in 1580.
The trials that fell to the writer and the humanistic worldview with which he was imbued in his youth formed the great author of the Renaissance. Adversity only strengthened his spirit and became a source of inspiration for the creation of great works. The feelings he experienced in captivity are reflected in some chapters of Don Quixote.
At home
Spain met her son awkwardly. The family was in a deplorable state. Need went to its extreme, father completely deafened. And even the veteran of the momentous battle in his homeland was not needed by anyone. To feed his family, Cervantes preferred military service. The financial situation temporarily improved, but still the future did not bode well for either the writer or his relatives.
For fifteen years he lived in Seville, where luck seemed to smile at him. But the fulfillment of the duties of the procurement commissioner, which brought profit to people with a bad conscience, almost ended tragically for Cervantes. He, like the Knight of the Sad Image, did not know how to make a deal with his conscience. And disagreements with church authority almost brought him to the dungeons of the Inquisition.
In Valladolid
Years have passed in this city, covering the third, very important period in the life of the writer. The works of Miguel de Cervantes created in Valladolid, unfortunately, have not been preserved in full. The novel Galatea and more than thirty dramas and comedies have survived. The play “Sea Battle”, which is mentioned in Cervantes’s memoirs, did not reach the modern reader. From the title, we can conclude that the action of this dramatic work takes place during the battle of Lepanto.
The pinnacle of the Spanish drama of the Golden Age was the play "Numansii". This work has a deep patriotic meaning, which is why it won success with the Spanish audience.
Immortal novel in two volumes
To the question “What did Miguel Cervantes write?” everyone will answer, of course: Don Quixote. This immortal work falls on the late period of the author's life. The work of Miguel Cervantes, however, is not limited to a philosophical novel about the misadventures of the reckless knight. In those years when Cervantes began working on a great work of world literature, he wrote a number of remarkable short stories. The late period also includes the collection Eight Comedies and Eight Interludes and the poem Wanderings of Persiles.
A lot of books and articles have been written about Don Quixote. The work of Miguel Cervantes has interested and continues to interest literary scholars around the world. Sidewalk scientists make their judgments and interpretations of the great work. Having begun work on writing a book with the desire to ridicule the then popular style of a chivalrous novel, Cervantes created a literary masterpiece. And in it everything confirms the greatness of the author: the fusion of humanistic thought and folk wisdom, the idea of ​​justice and protection of the weak, an unsurpassed satire.
Cervantes, like his heroes, wandering in search of justice and goodness, is alive. He is immortal. His work was and remains the subject of study by literary critics even today, four centuries after his death.